Cup of Excellence Auction Sets New Record

Specialty coffee roasters around the globe spent a record R$ 1.4 million (US$365,000) this week on the best of Brazil’s 2014/15 arabica harvest.

Prices averaged $8.35 per pound for 22 lots of coffee auctioned following the annual Cup of Excellence competition held in Pocos de Caldas. The winning coffee earned growerAntonio Rigno de Oliveira more than $45,000 for 18 bags grown at this smallholding in Piatã, Chapada Diamantina (Diamantina Highlands) in the Bahia Plateau of northern Brazil.

This is the third time coffee from his São Judas Tadeu farm has been recognized among the country’s top 20 coffees. Winners in this year’s competition were from seven of Brazil’s producing origins.

“The auction has fulfilled its primary role, which is to show and appreciate the producing origins of Brazilian specialty coffee, encouraging farmers to pursue ever more quality,” said the new chairman of BSCA, Adolfo Henrique Vieira Ferreira.

The event is organized by the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA) in partnership with the Brazilian Agency for Export and Investment Promotion (Apex-Brazil) and the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE), with the support of the Brazilian Support Service for Micro and Small Enterprises (SEBRAE). Cupping judges traveled to Brazil in October to taste hundreds of entries, following a national selection process that narrowed the competition to 45 coffees.